Hidden in my hood
Forgotten in my skin
A self imposed prisoner
Your words carefully placed tranverse the not insurmountble space
Space between us
Yet I do not have the hubris or the unjaded hope that you speak them for me
I comort myself half way asleep
That that sense
Of intensity and masterpiece
Is better held forever in blue that crushes vividly
The Thieves of Fate https://www.amazon.com/dp/153778210X/ref=cm_sw_r_other_apa_EfujybMWRKTQ9
You can order a physical book or kindle version above but if you would like a signed copy or one of the beautiful prints drawn by James Burton II please conact me at iconoclastgrey@gmail.com
My first short novel Thieves of Fate is a psychological tale with moments of horror that envelope you like a nightmare, themes of identity and consequence that send the mind into a spiral, and scenes of very human dark humor in the form of wit and sarcasm that help you whistle past the graveyard.
The protagonist Jack is a legend in his own mind even if he has no idea who he is and as his story progresses he is growing more fearful that he is losing what little grip he has on reality.
Jack spends half his time in the Territories Psychiatric Hospital and the other half in places and memories that he cannot be sure are real. And yet the more he visits these places that his mind says are only dreams and these memories that a voice in his head says are false the more he starts to wonder where the truth really lies.
He meets a cast of characters. At Territoties they are other patients, therapists, psychiatrists, and orderlies. In the other places he meets supernatural beings called Thieves that look like children but are absolutely not. And there are more things in the other places. Things that Jack does not understand. Things that Jack is scared to understand.
When I created Thieves of Fate I went imto a dark alley and roughed up Greek and Christian mythology taking what I wanted and leaving the rest. I added what odd bits of allegory and indiscriminate eavesdroppings of lore that I could pick from the pockets of superstition and black market beliefs.
So no matter where Jack is or who he meets he is never quite sure who is trying to help him and who is trying to hurt him. At times he is even forced to wonder that about himself.
Jack’s story is one that will leave you unsettled. It is a story that always has a new secret to reveal but never tells them all. But if you are willing to see it through to the end you will find that it has a pulse, it has a beating heart. What you find within that heart is up to you.
Which truth is the honest one? Which reality is real? Who exactly is Jack? Not even I can answer those questions… but you can.
Thieves of Fate was written by Kira Burton. My other published work is Spilled Ink a book of poetry that you can find on lulu.com and will be coming to Kindle soon. Spilled Ink is a book filled with honesty and vulnerability and you will find certain pieces in it that appear no where else
Thieves of Fate was ilustrated by the incredible artist James Burton II. Creator, writer, artist for the amazing superhero comic with a twist Damage Inc. Character driven and unbelievably fun Damage Inc is worth reading. He has also worked as a collaborator on several other comics. He is currently working with SCATTERED INC. Check out some of his work at Angrybrainartworks.com In 2017 James and I will be collaborating on The Ballad of Nod, a breathtakingly beautiful comic that brings together dark fantasy and children’s dream worlds. With incredibly vibrant, complex story telling and rich, vivid visuals Nod brings to life a child’s dreams and nightmares in such a way that will make you want to return again and again no matter what age you grow to be.
So many things I should have said
So many simple spoken words that could have altered lives
Now
Time moves on in gentle, dusty swirls
Universes expand and we step moments closer to eternity
You
Have faded away
One more blurry photograph
In the stammering collage of my past.
You have become just another supernatural thought
To make the visions on my eyelids all the more tragic
Once you were held high
An ephemeral angel created for my admiration
But not even creatures divine
Can fly
On the frail wings of broken hopes
So you fell….
You were left shattered and broken
On the concrete of my mind
Then you fell so low in my regard
That your scattered bones barely existed
I am certain that my death has occurred in your thoughts
My face twisted by sharp words
My body massacred by misplaced aggression
However this apparent fact does not hold my attention
So who am I to think
That you would be troubled
That I read your obituary aloud in my dreams?
What I wanted
Have you ever had a dream break your heart?
You were smiling when you were sleeping
Even though you knew
That was not the dream you should be dreaming
That dream should have been a nightmare
But lucidly you stayed there
Just so you could feel
Because it had been so long
It was just an ideal
Nothing that could ever be real
But the feeling though fleeting
Made you alive
When you awoke
You realized
The real world
Was a lie
And your attitude
On verisimilitude
Took a turn for the worst
Because while asleep
You thought your heart would burst
But awake it barely wants to beat
The biggest lie I ever told myself is
That this is not what I need
Simply
Because I thought I couldn’t have it
But now I crave it
Like Rapunzel
No happy ending
Iconoclastgrey Word Artist 